Today I give thanks to Almighty God on the 34th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. On June 13, 1992—the Feast of St. Anthony—I was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Providence.

When people ask, “Where have the years gone?” I understand exactly what they mean. Time seems to pass more quickly with each passing year. It feels as though I was just celebrating my silver jubilee, and now another nine years have come and gone.

That year, two of us were ordained to the priesthood and five to the diaconate. It was the last year in our diocese that priestly and diaconal ordinations were celebrated together. Looking back, I believe the decision to separate them was a wise one. Each degree of Holy Orders deserves its own day of celebration and attention.

Over these thirty-four years there have been joys and sorrows, triumphs and disappointments, good days and difficult ones. There have also been many ordinary days—the kind that rarely make headlines but form the fabric of priestly life. There have been countless baptisms, weddings, funerals, blessings, hospital visits, confessions, and conversations. I have encountered people in every imaginable circumstance: some burdened by suffering, others overflowing with joy, and many simply seeking God in the midst of daily life.

The priesthood has a way of changing a man. It can change him for the better or, sadly, for the worse. What matters most is whether he continues to deepen his relationship with Our Lord. If a priest does not have a living relationship with Jesus Christ, nothing else ultimately matters. Ministry, administration, accomplishments, and even good works cannot replace intimacy with the One who called us.

Priests must be men of prayer.

One of the greatest blessings of my life was spending seven years with the Franciscans (OFM) in Kennebunk, Maine. Those years were a tremendous gift. In the midst of a time of great confusion within the Church, they remained faithful. It was an oasis. While many places abandoned traditional devotions, Eucharistic Adoration, and Holy Hours, these friars preserved them. We prayed the Divine Office in common, celebrated community Mass, and maintained a strong devotional life centered on Our Lord and Our Lady. Those years of formation provided a foundation that has sustained me throughout my priesthood, and for that I remain deeply grateful.

Over the years I have watched many men leave the priesthood and religious life. I pray for them often. Some left because of human weakness and sin. Others were removed because of scandal. Still others simply grew weary of the battles and confusion that marked so many years in the life of the Church. They lost hope that things would ever improve.

If I have persevered, it is not because of my own strength. It is only through the grace of God and the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary that I have remained safe through the storms. Whatever good has been accomplished in these thirty-four years belongs to God alone.

I am deeply grateful for my brother priests and for the countless lay faithful who have supported and encouraged me along the way. Many have become dear friends. Some I no longer see regularly, yet we still stay connected through an occasional phone call or text message despite the miles between us. Others have gone before us into eternity. I look forward to the day when we will meet again in the presence of God.

Today my gratitude extends first to my parents. My father has gone home to the Lord, and I continue to miss him greatly. My mother, however, remains one of God’s great blessings in my life, and I am grateful that she is able to live with me.

Most of all, I thank Almighty God and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Every vocation is a gift, every day of priesthood a grace, and every soul entrusted to my care a privilege.

For all of it—for the joys, the sorrows, the successes, the failures, the friendships, the lessons, and the grace—I simply say:

Thank you, Lord.